Donald Trump made clear his opposition to recent prisoner exchange talks that may or may not be underway between the U.S. and Russia involving WNBA star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan for Viktor Bout - a convicted Russian arms trafficker who has been accused of selling weapons to Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Siding With Russia? No Surprise There
Trump's admiration for Vladimir Putin was on display throughout his presidential term and continued until recently when he described Putin's aggression toward Ukraine as “genius” and “very savvy.” Trump said that the Russian military was “gonna keep peace all right” under Putin's leadership whom he called “a tough cookie” with “great charm.”
Though Trump seems to believe that Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is a spoiled brat who went to Russia “loaded up with drugs.” Griner was in fact returning to Russia to finish up her seventh season with the country’s women’s professional basketball team when she was detained on February 17 by customs agents who found vapes containing cannabis oil in her suitcase.
Griner, who legally uses medical marijuana to treat sports-related injuries, admitted in a recent court hearing that in her haste she’d forgotten to remove the cannabis oil from her suitcase before traveling to Moscow.
Referring to Griner’s possible exchange for Bout, Trump said, “I assume she admitted it without too much force because it is what it is, and it certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? He’s absolutely one of the worst in the world, and he’s gonna be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs.”
Bill Maher Has An Idea
“The DOJ, the Department of Justice, says we’re getting closer. I think we’re gonna maybe see a grand jury. They may put Trump...how about this for an idea? We put Trump in jail and then trade him to Russia for Brittney Griner,” Maher said on “Real Time with Bill Maher” when he mocked Trump saying that “nobody’s gotten to the bottom of 9/11."
Trump Trades The PGA For Saudi Arabia's LIV Golf Tournament
Trump made the comments about 9/11 during the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tournament being held at his New Jersey golf club in response to family members of 9/11 victims speaking out in protest.
Documents released by the FBI late last year indicated that the Saudi government may have played a larger part in the 9/11 terrorist attacks than previously believed.
Trump is benefitting from his relationship with LIV Golf, especially after the PGA pulled the 2022 PGA Championship from his course in Bedminster, NJ days after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
